Queensland Road Trip 5: Wet Tropics Birds Revisited

Grey-headed Robin

Getting reacquainted with the birds of Queensland's wet tropics has been a joy. Here at Possum Valley, where we are winding up a 5-day stay, the rainforest is high altitude, where many specialties are restricted including the iconic Golden Bowerbird (see here for earlier sightings).

Golden Bowerbird bower

The owner of Possum Valley, Paul Tredgett, told me where to find a bower being attended by a Golden Bowerbird along one of the trails. It is in the same spot where I photographed a male bird a couple of days earlier.

Grey-headed Robin

Among other birds, Grey-headed Robin is common in the forest but somewhat skulking in this area.

Lewin's Honeyeater & friend

Lewin's Honeyeater is absurdly tame, alighting on visitors for food scraps and entering the cabin kitchens even in search of tucker.

Bridled Honeyeater

Bridled Honeyeater is less common in the lodge grounds.

Mountain Thornbill

Mountain Thornbill is common in the forest and around the edges.

Atherton Scrubwren

Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren and Large-billed Scrubwren were all seen. I started a Facebook discussion on the images here and people are divided as to whether these are juvenile Fernwrens or Atherton Scrubwrens. They were on the edge of the forest, close to the ground but in the open, and calling like scrubwrens; I've concluded they are juvenile Atherton Scrubwrens.

Atherton Scrubwren

Bower's Shrike-thrush

Bower's Shrike-thrush is uncommon on the forest edge.

Satin Bowerbird

White-throated (Little) Treecreeper

Several small northern races of species more widespread in south-eastern Australia are present in numbers in Possum Valley. These include White-throated (Little) Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird and Crimson Rosella.

Spotted Catbird

I saw a Spotted Catbird low in the canopy inside the forest.

Little Kingfisher

I found another Little Kingfisher on a second lake (first bird sightings here.) This one I did not need a boat to reach!

Pale-yellow Robin

Other birds in the area include Pale-yellow Robin, Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon and Grey Goshawk.  I've seen but so far not managed to photograph Fernwren, Chowchilla and Victoria's Riflebird.

Platypus

I saw a Platypus in one of the lakes but managed only a poor image.